The "aristocratic" Vertu 2G phone worth hundreds of millions of dong will be supported to upgrade to 4G

By September 16, 2024, carriers will no longer support subscribers using 2G Only phones. Users are required to switch to phones that support 3G/4G/5G.

Notably, besides the 2G Only "brick" phones of the brands, the "noble" Vertu phones are also affected by the 2G signal shutdown.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Ngan, CEO of Vertu Vietnam, said that Vertu Vietnam is no longer selling old Vertu models (Vertu using 2G waves), instead, it is selling new Vertu models using 4G waves. For example, Signature V, the type of phone that many people have chosen to upgrade from the Signature S 2G line.

According to this unit, there are still more than 2,000 Vertu 2G phones on the Vietnamese market. In order to tighten strict control over products of unknown origin, not genuine distribution products... Vertu has permanently locked many phones in Vietnam.

However, recently, the market for Vertu 2G hand-carried phones in Vietnam is still very active. These old phones are still consumed strongly by stores, or are sold a lot online and the price is much cheaper than before.

Mr. VT, a Vertu phone dealer in Hanoi, said that recently, Vertu 2G phones, especially the Signature S line, are still chosen by many people, even though they know that when the 2G signal is turned off, they will no longer be able to use them.

“Most people who choose to buy old Vertu phones are for souvenirs and because the prices are now much cheaper than before. For example, Vertu phones that cost billions of dong are now around 200 million dong, or Vertu phones that cost hundreds of millions of dong are now only around a few tens of millions of dong,” said Mr. VT.

Mr. Nguyen Khanh Hoang, a collector of high-end phones in Ho Chi Minh City, said he had just spent 150 million VND to buy a Vertu using 2G network technology. Previously, to own it, he would have had to spend more than 800 million VND. His purpose was to buy it as a souvenir and to add to his collection. According to him, recently, many people who have the hobby of collecting phones like him have spent money to buy these old Vertu models due to the sharp price drop.

"Spending tens to hundreds of millions of dong to buy a beautiful phone that looks like expensive, high-end jewelry like this is worth it," said Mr. Nguyen Khanh Hoang.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Ngan, CEO of Vertu Vietnam, shared that although the company has continuously tightened control, according to records, the number of hand-carried Vertu 2G phones has still been consumed a lot in the past time. Statistics from the industry show that the Signature S line using 2G waves has still sold several hundred units in the past month, of which, 80% are in Hanoi. This is very confusing when the time to turn off 2G waves is approaching.

At the same time, the CEO of Vertu Vietnam also announced that, in preparation for the shutdown of 2G waves in the near future, Vertu Vietnam is having an exclusive policy, only applied to the domestic market. Those are customers who are using Vertu 2G, regardless of genuine or unknown origin, when coming to the company's stores, they will be assessed and supported to upgrade to 4G.

According to Vertu Vietnam, recently, many users of Vertu phones that only support 2G waves have encountered weak or unstable waves depending on the area... with increasing frequency. Many customers have come to the company's stores for support with this problem, including hand-carried or unknown-origin phones. They have all been advised and supported to upgrade to 4G if needed.